Lift stations are used to lift water, including wastewater or storm water, or other liquid from one elevation to a higher elevation. In a typical lift station for wastewater, an in-ground well receives wastewater through an inlet in a side wall of the well. The wastewater accumulates within the well until it reaches a predetermined level, at which point a submersible pump or other wastewater moving device in the well is automatically triggered to begin evacuating the wastewater through an outlet in the side wall located at an elevation higher than the inlet. The elevation of the outlet can be, for example, an elevation sufficient to allow the evacuated wastewater to flow by gravity, such as via a sewer main to a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The pump continues operating until the level of accumulated wastewater in the well decreases to a second predetermined level.
The pumps, level sensors and other equipment located within a wastewater lift station typically must be connected to power sources, control panels and other equipment located outside the wastewater lift station. In most conventional wastewater lift stations, electrical cables to form these connections are routed out a side wall of the well, through an underground conduit and up into an electrical box. This configuration of cables can be expensive to install and difficult to maintain. In contrast, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,782 (“the '782 patent”) discloses a channel in the wastewater lift station cover through which cables can be routed. In the '782 patent, this channel is partially covered by a grate so that it also serves as a vent.
In some circumstances, venting a wastewater lift station through the channel that carries cables can be disadvantageous. For example, some conditions can cause flammable gases to be created inside wastewater lift stations. These gases can be ignited by quick-disconnect plugs, power sources, and other external electrical equipment to which the devices within wastewater lift stations must be connected. Several building codes, including the National Fire Code, require ignition sources to be located a safe distance, such as 60 inches or more, from sources of flammable gas. Under some circumstances, a vent opening to the interior of a wastewater lift station can be classified as a source of flammable gas. It would be desirable to provide an integrated solution to cable routing and venting that addresses some of these concerns.